New Yorkers Are Vaping Up A Storm With Electronic Cigarettes

Many New Yorkers are finding electronic cigarettes preferable to traditional tobacco cigarettes for a variety of reasons. The night before a United Nations General Assembly, an upper East Side clothing designer named Maggie Norris had second doubts about using her electronic cigarette indoors. According to The New York Observer, “Do you think I can use this in here?” she asked us, brandishing her electronic cigarette. She turned her back and discreetly inhaled, releasing a puff of water vapor. We stood guard: no one had noticed. Halfway through the ceremony, the designer got up and went outside for an actual smoke. “I occasionally lapse,”she explained as she bummed a Parliament.” Although Maggie finds the use of electronic cigarettes somewhat taboo, they are quickly gaining prominence over traditional cigarettes for a large variety of reasons.

It was mentioned in the article that many electronic cigarette users find e-cig usage attractive for a variety of reasons. These include ease of use, portability and lower cost. Even so, Will, another New Yorker, found it potentially embarrassing to use an electronic cigarette in public. He would rather avoid the potential embarrassment of having to explain why he was using an electronic cigarette indoors or at a park, where traditional cigarette smoking is illegal.

To make matters worse, many public institutions and restaurants don’t make an open exception for electronic cigarette usage indoors. “When we called Manhattan’s prestigious Core Club to see if it would let in someone with an e-cigarette, we were told that “no smoking whatsoever” was allowed in the club.”

It is obvious that the use of electronic cigarettes, especially in public places where smoking is not allowed, is still a controversial issue. While electronic cigarette usage may be preferable to traditional tobacco usage in many aspects, it remains taboo to the public at large.